Pasta, Pasta, Even Sickies Can Make Pasta

Life has been a little crazy around here, and to top it all off... brought on by some serious rain accompanied by 90km per hour winds and a cold... generously shared by my grandson,  I haven't written here in over a week.  And this is just a quick reminder that this week I'll be hosting Presto Pasta Night myself.    Don't forget to send your entries to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday to make it into the roundup.

I thought I'd share some of my favorite "sickie" pastas... meaning quick, easy and comforting.

Baby Bows with Zesty Shrimp ( for the kid in me)

Bucatini Bolognese (my favorite comfort food)

Fettuccini with Olive Oil, Garlic & Basil (any pasta will do)

What's your favorite comfort pasta when neither you nor the weather are sunny or bright?   Don't forget to send whatever pasta you're preparing our way before Thursday.  It's easy to do... write about it,  mention Presto Pasta Night, and Once Upon a Feast with links and email your URL to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.  

Sukkot & Fall Vegetables

Sukkot is one of my favorite Jewish Holidays.  I started a tradition when my girls were little.  I sent them to Jewish school so they could learn about being Jewish and make educated choices when they grew up as to what they wanted to follow and what not.   So to that end, every holiday had to be fun.  We did crafts...check out our awesome Sukkah decorations from too far back to remember!... and food - the girls loved to cook....

I've shared the Challah Story more than once but still smile whenever I think about the first time.  Joanna above and Sharron below.

But back to Sukkot,  It's a Harvesting holiday dating back to our nomadic days in the time of the Bible.  And we still build sukkahs - basically a hut with walls but no roof - to remind us.  We place branches over the top and can peek through to see the stars at night. You can get a glimpse of the inside and "roof" of grape vines we used in Montreal in the photo above.   We eat all our meals in it during the week of Sukkot.... unless you're like us and are fair weather only friends. 

Joanna & Ezra and the boys carry on the tradition. Too bad you can't see their "roof" of evergreen branches from their yard or Ezra who was busy with a friend trying to bring in the dock for the winter.  He did get leftovers, so don't worry.   Left to right...Boaz, Poppa (AKA my Honey), Joanna & Dov.  

And to celebrate Sukkot, the Fall Bounty in Nova Scotia and Presto Pasta Night Roundup #236, this week hosted by the wonderful HoneyB of The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch.  I made a truly delightful dish.

Rotini with Roasted Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms

I know it doesn't look pretty.  My "studio" didn't have great lighting, but trust me when I tell you it was caramelized and golden... rusts and bronze and vibrant orange in color with hints of fresh parsley, like evergreens that, all together looked like Fall in the country.   

Just an FYI... the kids plates have chicken, corn niblets and fruit.  Boaz refused to taste any pasta.  I guess it's another thing he's "allergic" to ... translate that to mean "I don't want any".  Dov loved it, as long as he could eat off Grandma or Mummy's plates.. and as long as there were no Brussels sprouts on his fork!  

If you have a great pasta dish, please send it of to grumpyshoneybunch (at) yahoo (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday and share it with Presto Pasta Night Roundup.  Just mention The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch and Presto Pasta Night in your post.   No blog but great pasta?   You can email the link to me and I'll post it for you... and the rest of us!

Still Savoring Jewish High Holidays

Somehow, in all the rush, I never did get to formally wish my Jewish friends a Shana Tova - loosely translated - a "Good Year".   For the Jewish High Holidays, we serve sweet dishes, starting with simply dipping apples in honey and challahs shaped in a circle, rather than braided and kneaded with raisins.  To all my friends of every culture and religion, I wish you a year ahead filled with peace, prosperity, good health and much joy.

This year, my role was to mostly play Grandma while my daughter and others cooked the traditional dishes of chicken soup with matzo balls, roasted brisket, bow ties & kasha, potato kugel, and more.  For Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year), the table groans with at least four courses.  Guests squeeze around tables (sometimes more than one, end to end) to share in the celebratory feasting.

And then there's Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement which is a day of fasting that begins before the sun sets and ends the following day... also after sunset.  The Breaking of the Fast is yet another feast, in our family it is usually dairy.  Bagels, lox & cream cheese, several salads, a soup and something hot like a sweet kugel or lasagna.  Another delicious meal!  That said...

Traditionally, the evening (or should I say afternoon) meal before fasting is a bland meal, eaten in a rush sometime around 4PM to make sure we get to the synagogue or temple before the sun sets. Bland so that we won't get thirsty - even water is included in the fast.  Hurried, because we all want to get to temple before sunset.  As a child, it was always a quick meal, usually some of the boiled chicken from the chicken soup and.... I don't even remember, but it was not my mother's best meal either,  not like any other holiday meal and I would never use the word "feast" to describe it.  In fact, this was not a meal we ever invited anyone to - just immediate family... in a hurry.  In other words, my least favorite meal to prepare.   Until this year.   (and now for my usual digression...)

I just received a copy of Claudia Rosen's latest cookbook - The Food of Spain last week.  I love Claudia Rosen - her recipes and her comprehensive research plus her wonderful story-telling.   You'll hear more about it in the next few weeks, but it did make me take The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York, an earlier Claudia Rosen classic... Don't you love the title - so romantic and exotic... off my shelf and savor some tales and some tasty treats from Jewish kitchens throughout time and around the world... like the Lamb with Dried Fruit & Toasted Almonds that I adapted and served over a variation of one of my favorite couscous dishes - Couscous with Currants, Barberries & Mint to sop up the thick gravy of honey, ginger & cinnamon.

And, because couscous is a pasta, this is my sweet, yet savory entry for this week's Presto Pasta Night, hosted by Kirsten of From Kirsten's Kitchen to Yours.  Create a dish, write a post, mention and link to Presto Pasta Nights and From Kirsten's Kitchen to Yours and send an email to kirstenmlindquist (at) gmail (dot) com and cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday to make it into Friday's roundup.

Cooking History - Film of War & Food

If you love food... and I assume you do if you're reading my blog... and if you love film, then naturally you'll be interested in the biAnnual Slow Motion Food Film Festival coming to Wolfville, Nova Scotia November 11-14th.  Lots of foodie films, fun foodie events (including a Barn Dinner prepared by Chefs Michael Howell of The Tempest, Wolfville, Craig Flinn of Chives Canadian Bistro, Halifax, and Peter Jackson, this communal dinner in the barn at Kenny's Farm Market will feature spit-roasted Tamworth pork, seasonal dishes, local wines, and Stutz apple cider).  The complete schedule of films and events will be available by October 15th.   I'll keep you posted.

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Launch Party, and went to a screening of  Cooking History, a documentary film shown at the Atlantic Film Festival.  I'm not sure what I expected of the film.   I knew it was about wars and cooking and history, but somehow thought it would take us through the ages with possibly a sampling or two of what Genghis Khan fed his solders.    In fact, it focused on more recent wars and conflicts - six in all from WWII to conflicts between Serbs & Croatians.  It's a documentary interviewing cooks for each of these campaigns and focuses on the Northern European front.  The web site front page has this subtitle, which sets the stage.

★ 6 WARS ★ 11 RECIPES ★ 60 361 024 DEAD ★

It definitely gave me, if you'll pardon the pun... food for thought... and a very different perspective on war, and particularly supplying troops with what they need.  If you're like me - supplying armies means weapons, transportation, weapons, clothing, weapons and ... well truthfully, I never gave much thought to food.  Other than my dad always saying that my mother and I must have gotten our culinary training in the military, because ... "we always cook for an army".

Back in 2007, I reviewed a cookbook called Ships of the Great Lakes which certainly opened my eyes to the amount of food required.  But then, we never actually had any wars in North America for hundreds of years.

What became clear to me during this film is the truth that an army really functions as well or as poorly as the food they're provided with.  I don't want to spoil if for anyone interested in seeing it.  But you can check out the trailer on YouTube.  Some of the real heroes of any conflict are the cooks.   Finding ingredients, cooking in a battle zone, and all the other challenges are reason enough for me to want to give them all medals.   Not a career for the timid!
 

Presto Pasta Night #234

It seems like everyone who sent in an entry this week knew about our little cold spell.  Temperatures hovered near freezing at night and rainy, damp and dreary days, thanks to some Hurricane or other passing close enough to make me bring the BBQ and plants in off the balcony.  Thanks everyone for the perfect remedy.

First in is Heather, GirliChef extraordinaire with one of my favorite Fall Soups - Italian Wedding Soup.   I'm definitely making her scrumptious looking version.

Next, Tigerfish of Teczcape always has something wonderful for us.  This time it's Noodles with Jalapeno Peppers, Fried Shallots & Green Onions.  Given we're having frost warnings here, some of that heat will be much appreciated.

First time PPNer Krithi of Krithi's Kitchen shares another perfect dish for the chilly weather here.  Her Szechwan Vegetable Noodles is quick and gorgeous.  Thanks for joining in the fun Krithi.

Tandy of Lavender & Lime always brings something wonderful our way and this time it looks especially delicious.  It's Boudin Blanc & Mushrooms with homemade farfollini.  Very impressive and I'm jealous since I seem only to be able to make straight noodles with my pasta attachments.

Graziana of Erbe in Cucina is back with another dish perfect for our weather.  I mentioned our frost warning and my daughter with her first big garden has put frost covers on some of her plants but had to harvest the last of her herb garden.   So lucky that Graziana shared this particular Checca sul Rogo.

Stash of The Spamwise Chronicles always melts my heart with his dishes, but I think even he outdid himself with this one.  Check out his Spaghetti with Italian Broccoli, Anchovies, Rocambole Garlic & Fried Breadcrumbs.   I'm drooling here!!!

Beth Anne of The Seventh Level of Boredom is back with another perfect dish for our weather here.  She calls it Not Even Remotely Authentic Pastitsio.   I call it Heaven in a bowl.

HoneyB of The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch knows the way to her Honey's heart - and mine... lots of garlic.   I love her Garlic Noodles with a Kick.   She served it as a side.  I want the whole bowl!

Gay, Scientist in the Kitchen after hosting last week's roundup, is back with a brilliant Magician's feat - turning burgers into a mouth-watering Linguine with Bolognese.

Andrea of Nummy Kitchen shares a perfect cold weather dish - Tomato Lasagna.   Great to warm the kitchen with the heat of the oven and glorious aromas of it baking.

and, last but not least... a couple of pastas from me before turning over the hosting reins.  It started off with a lazy version of one of my oldest and most requested pastas - Meaty Pasta with Lamb Sausages & Mushrooms...

... and then, since pasta once in a week didn't seem to be enough...I came up with this unbelievably fuschia colored, smile inducing dish of Penne with Shrimp and Roasted Beets and Garlic.  It was inspired by ingredients in my fridge and a glance at my Allrecipes.com app on my iPhone while waiting in the car for my Honey.

That's it for this round.   Thanks everyone for those perfect dishes to help me through the cold snap.   Next week we're lucky to have Kirsten of From Kirsten's Kitchen to Yours - for the FIFTH time, no less.  So put on your pasta thinking caps, write a post, mention and link to Presto Pasta Nights and From Kirsten's Kitchen to Yours and send an email to kirstenmlindquist (at) gmail (dot) com and cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday to make it into next Friday's roundup.

Who Knew I'd Have So Much Fun with iPhone Apps

Tonight's dinner started out with two certainties... pasta and the roasted beets in my fridge.   I wasn't quite sure what else would go in the pan... perhaps the last of the frozen shrimp.   So while I was waiting for my Honey, I decided to check and see what any of my iPhone apps might come up with.  

First up...allrecipes.com with their "spinner" that randomly chooses a dish - could be dessert, breakfast... you never know.  This time, it was Death by Garlic.   A perfectly, Heavenly way to go, if you ask me.  Pasta.... Garlic (10 cloves!)   Red chili pepper flakes... Parsley... Cheese.  Seriously awesome all by itself.

But I have never been known to leave well enough alone, so....  Check out my Penne with Shrimp and Roasted Beets & Garlic.  Have you ever seen such a gloriously, brilliantly fuschia dish!?!   You're smiling even before you taste a bite.

Hopefully, this will inspire you to find your own source of inspiration.   And hopefully that will include pasta and you'll be sharing with Presto Pasta Nights this week  to me at ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday night to make it into next Friday's roundup.

Lazy Rainy Sundays

I may be crazy, but I actually love rainy Sundays. That's the view from our apartment. I feel cocooned in the fog which makes me feel like wearing PJ's all day, relaxing with a good book or an old film.   And it's usually the day when I cook simple dishes from my head, taking old favorites and giving them a twist.    It also means I'm too lazy to actually take any pictures of my dishes.  I'm just sharing a few older photos to set the stage.  

We had little boys and their parents for lunch after a morning of hanging out with Dov, the two year old, but I still had time to whip up pot of soup and matzo balls.   Not just any soup or just any matzo balls, for that matter.  

I roasted some carrots, parsnips, leeks & beets with some sprigs of fresh thyme ... sort of like the ones above....

used some frozen roasted vegetable broth I always have on hand, and pureed it to look  something like this.  I just love the color the beets bring to the dish.

Then I added some curried matzo balls from a recipe of velvety squash soup... like these. They turned red too.

The soup was delicious as was the Fattoush - a great Middle Eastern Salad my family loves.

And that was just lunch.   After a delightful afternoon with two angels, I have to admit, the thought of really cooking, didn't appeal... that lazy, rainy Sunday thing.  What that usually means at our house is pasta.   This time an easy take on a standard... pasta with sausages (this time lamb), mushrooms and a tomato sauce, which I used Classico pasta sauce as a base and added garlic, onion to make it "my own".  

What's your favorite lazy, rainy Sunday story?   If it includes pasta, I hope you share that too.  It's my turn to host Presto Pasta Night Roundup this week and I can't wait for you to share.  Just write about it, mention Presto Pasta Nights and email me the link.  Just send it to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday.  If you don't have a blog, just email the recipe to me and I'll post it for you.  .